A new emissions charge set to be introduced in London by 2017

The ‘T-Charge’ will apply to all diesel and petrol vehicles with pre-Euro 4 emission standards

The new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, plans to introduce a new toxicity charge in London, to begin next year.

The Mayor has confirmed that the new emissions charge (T-charge), will apply to motorists driving into London and will include all diesel and petrol vehicles with pre-Euro 4 emissions standards, which basically means vehicles registered before 2005.

London Mayor announces new Ultra Low Emissions Zone plan

The new T-charge will be an extra levy for motorists to pay, who already have to fork out £11.50 for congestion charges.

The recently elected mayor plans to cut down the levels of pollution in London by increasing and expediting the Ultra Low Emissions Zone and by introducing, as soon as possible, low-emission double decker buses across the city.

The air pollution in London has been a top priority for Mr Khan: “With nearly 10,000 people dying early every year in London due to exposure to air pollution, cleaning up London’s toxic air is now an issue of life and death.”

Mayor Khan went on to speak about his hard-hitting plan to clean up the dirty air in the city, stating that tough challenges need even tougher measures and that the proposed new £10 emissions charge will apply to the most polluted vehicles entering London from 2017 and an even stronger crackdown on air pollution will follow.

The new T-charge, which is set to be introduced next year, is just one of Mayor Khan’s new tougher measures, planned to help control pollution in the city.

Mayor Khan is also asking Transport for London to consider the idea of a new scrappage program, aimed at diesel vehicles that pollute the most. However, Mr Khan emphasises that any such program would have to be brought in by the government across the whole country.